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Smark Hen-XT (2/13/19): The One And Only, Undisputed ERA Bay-Bay

Was anybody else excited to see the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV rematch between Adam Cole and Ricochet? I know I was a little ecstatic to see these two Superstars collide in another expected classic. I might have had some reservations as I expected that it may not be the same quality as the one during TakeOver but rest assured that whenever these guys are on the card, you know that they're going to blow the roof off.

I'm getting used to Ricochet's high-flying style. His hurracanranas, flips, and dives make for some fast-paced and high-octane highlights and, interestingly, they matched well with Adam Cole's technical prowess. Say what you will about Cole but he is pretty adept and his attacks are well-calculated. Like the dastardly villain that he is, he worked the champ's leg to try and ground him.

This would be all for naught as Ricochet would dish out a memorable moment when he did a springboard flip on one leg to get a near fall. This was not enough to get the victory but an eventual Vertigo on Cole would seal the deal and give The One and Only the win.

The Undisputed ERA ran into the ring immediately after the match to try and ruin Ricochet's victory celebration, however, a surprise save in the form of Aleister Black made an appearance to try and even things. I used the word "try" as Black couldn't beat the numbers game and would eventually fall victim to a superkick from a recovered Cole. An End of Heartache by Roderick Strong followed to set up a closing shot of the ERA standing over both Black and Ricochet with Cole claiming that "nobody can touch [them]."

The ERA started off their year a bit weak so it'll be interesting where this leads to. I do wonder if they'll be able to gain more momentum moving forward since Black has mostly been booked strongly during his NXT run so far. Adam Cole seems to have been sent to the back of the line by Ricochet so that might be it for their rivalry. Maybe Roddy can step up to the plate instead and challenge Johnny Gargano for his NXT North American Championship so the team can have some success.

My only gripe with this episode is that, for some reason, I can't shake off the feeling that the Undisputed ERA and the trio of Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir are running the same angle of trying to run a monopoly in their respective divisions (men's and women's) and this is what worries me. Two faction beatdowns in one night is a little too much. Otherwise, this episode was pretty stacked. Grade: B

Not So Full Sails

Dijakovic is a name that's very hard to pronounce. Saying Dominik Dijakovic isn't any easier either. How long do you think it'll be until he becomes simply Dijakovic or worse, Dominik?

Shane Thorne is back. It's good to see NXT use him on TV after Nick Miller's departure. Unfortunately, he was used as fodder for Dijakovic's push.

I feel Bianca Belair is a natural heel. Could a turn be coming after her exchange with the Sky Pirates?

Oh, Keith Lee's still here? I'm kidding. He does need to insert himself into this weird Kassius Ohno story as he deserves more than being a background character. It's good that he did so in this episode.

Does anybody else expect Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins to feud eventually? If we had to judge by WWE's track record, I'd say it's an eventual "yes," which could lead to a strong Ford push.

The Street Profits versus Humberto Carillo and Stacey Ervin Jr. was surprisingly fun to watch. Carillo and Ford were a good match. Ervin Jr. looks to have a bright future ahead of him. I just think he should ditch the afro. We've seen guys who donned the 'fro fade into obscurity quickly *cough* No Way Jose *cough*.

The tag team division is stacked. It'll be interesting to see which team gets to fight the War Raiders for the NXT Tag Team Championships but my best guesses would be either The Undisputed ERA or The Street Profits.

Aliyah against Taynara Conti was a filler match meant only to further push Shayna Baszler and the "Suck Squad" (not their official name) that is Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir as bad-asses of the division.

If the double team move Shafir and Duke did on Conti was their finisher, I hope somebody explains what the hell that was supposed to be because it confused the hell out of me. I'm calling on Smark Henry's Wreddit_Regal to expound on what it was.

That's about it for this week's edition of NXT. Did you enjoy the episode? Were there any points we missed? Hit us up at the comments section below.

Photos and videos from WWE

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Miguel “The Migz” Llado is your supposed style icon and NXT reviewer at the Smark Henry offices. A lover of everything music, wrestling, videogames and food, he lives his life tweeting his mind off (@the_migz) and ‘gramming random food items and locations (@tha_migz) as he sets on his journey to completely do things spontaneously. You can also add him on PSN (MigzLlado) to show your WWE2K19 (or any PS4) skills. When not being a smark, he lives his life being (and trying to be) an awesome architect, musician extraordinaire and armchair fantasy booker.